Projectile



April 26, 1938. E. w. BRANDT PRCSJECTILE Filed Sept. 26, 1936 Patented Apr. 26, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PROJECTILE Edgar William Brandt, Pa

France, assignor to Sageb, Societe Anonyme de Gestion et dExploitation de Brevets, Fribourg, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application September 26, 1936, Serial No. 102,765

- In France September 30, 1935 Claims.

This invention relates to a projectile the func-- tioning of which does not give rise to the production, however slight,'of any splinters, or even to the expulsion externally of plugs or other ob- 5 turating devices.

The projectile of the present invention is therefore particularly adapted for use as a smoke-shell or signalling shell for firing practice. It affords, furthermore, the advantage of being recoverable with a view to subsequent use.

The projectile of the present invention is of the type comprising an interior cavity provided with an emission orifice closed by a plug or equivalent device adapted to be forced aside under the effeet of pressure produced inside said cavity by an appropriate charge, and is characterized by the feature that said plug is disposed in such a way as to remain in the projectile after its displacement.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.

In order more clearly to understand the in vention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates diagrammatically and by way of example, one embodiment thereof, in which:--

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the projectile; while Fig. 2 shows the valve in the open position.

n In said drawing, which depicts an ovoid shell finned for mortars, the body I of the projectile is provided, preferably towards its rear extremity, with a perforation 2 (Fig. 2) closed by a valve 3 held in the closed position by crimping,

or by any other appropriate means, such as a pin, putty, soldering, a spring, or the like, designed in such a way as to oppose any displacement of the valve towards the rear under the efiect of shocks during transport and handling, but adapted to yield at the desired moment in consequence of the defiagration of the internal charge, as will be described subsequently.

A retention device, formed in the present example by a projection 3a of the body I, makes 5 it impossible for the valve to be forced inside the body, particularly under the action of the propulsion when the shot is fired.

The tightness of the joint between the valve and the body is obtained preferably with the aid 50 of thick copal varnish or an equivalent product.

Behind the valve 3 is a cavity 4 which is itself in communication with the exterior through one or more perforations 5, of variable inclination, made in the base of the shell. On said base, in

55 alignment with the cavity 4, is screwed, the fin carrier tail 6, the threaded neck 1 of which is engaged in a corresponding tapping in the base.

In the case of a smoke-shell the charging is carried out with the aid of a smoke producing charge 8. 6

A channel 9 is provided in the smoke-producing composition (for example hexachloroethane and calcium silicide, if desired with the addition of colouring matter) in which is disposed the ignition composition (hexachloroethane and alum minium, for example). The channel 9 connects the valve 3 to a detonator H), which preferably has a fulminate base.

If there is occasion to add a charge of ballast, the latter-consisting of kieselguhr, pitch or any 15 other appropriate material-is preferably disposed around the internal periphery of the shell at its region of maximum diameter. The body I has at the front a tight cover I! into which is screwed the fuse I3. For storage in storehouses the fuse may be replaced by a tight plug.

The functioning of the projectile is as follows:

When the shot is fired, the propulsion is carried out normally, the projection 3a preventing the valve being forced into the interior under the thrust of the propulsion gases. On impact, the fuse l3 ignites the detonator Ill. The heat released by the deflagration of the latter brings the hexachloroethane to a temperature higher than its boiling point (181), whereupon a chloride of aluminium (boiling point 183) is formed, which instantly transmits the deflagration through the whole length of the channel 9. The resulting pressure opens the valve 3, which is then thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 2, 35

The combustion of the chargell ignited by the composition 9 and the releasing of smoke through the orifices 5 are then efiected with very high speed. As the jet of smoke breaks on the bottom of the valve 3 (Fig. 2), this facilitates the spread- 40 mg out of the smoke cloud.

Instead of arranging the ignition composition in direct contact with the charge 8, it could also be placed in a combustible tube (of cardboard, celluloid, or the like) or else in a non-combustible perforated tube. Said composition could also be disposed in a channel or in a tube situated eccentrically in the projectile: this channel could, moreover, be of a shape other than straight; such as helicoid, zig-zag, and so on. Finally, a plurality of channels could be provided.

If it is desired to use the shell as a tracer projectile, it is sufiicient to effect the ignition of the charge at the desired moment by means of an appropriate fuse.

to the use made, discharge at any points on the I external surface oi! the projectile.

The present invention is applicable to projectiles of any kind fired from smooth or rifled guns, to grenades of all kinds, to aircraft bombs, and so on.

It will be obvious that the invention has been represented and described solely by way of example, and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A non-explosive projectile having a hollow body formed with at least one emission orifice, a stabilizing fin-carrier tail fixed in a hole provided in the base of the projectile in alignment with said emission orifice, a plug for hermetically closing said orifice, an expansible charge inside said hollow body, and means for expanding said charge when the projectile attains its target, the said plug being adapted to yield under the effect of pressure produced inside the said hollow body by the expansion of said charge and to move against said tail and abut thereon.

2. A non-explosive projectile having a hollow body formed with at least one emission orifice, a stabilizing fin-carrier tail fixed in a hole provided in the base of the projectile in alignment with said emission orifice, a plug for hermetically closing said orifice, an expansible charge inside said hollow body, and means for expanding said charge when the projectile attains its target, said plug being adapted to yield under the effect of pressure produced inside the said hollow body by the expansion of said charge and to move into opening position against said tail, and said body having at least one outlet channel in communication with said hole between the closing and opening positions of said plug 3. A non-explosive projectile having a hollow body formed with at least one emission orifice, obturating means for hermetically closing said orifice, an expansible charge inside 'said hollow body. a fuse to ignite said charge when the projectile attains its target, an ignition composition to transmit the defiagration from the fuse to said charge, said composition being provided in a channel connecting said fuse to said emission orifice, said obturating means being adapted to yield under the effect oi pressure produced inside the said hollow body by the expansion of said charge, and means to retain said obturating means entirely within said body after the yielding movement.

4. A non-explosive projectile having a hollow I body formed with a cavity of approximately ovoid form and with at least one emission orifice, obturating means for hermetically closing said orifice, an expansible charge inside said cavity, a charge of ballast surrounding said expansible charge in the region of greatest diameter of the cavity, means for expanding said expansible charge when the projectile attains its target, the said obturating means being adapted to yield under the eflect ofpressure produced inside the said cavity by the expansion of, the expansible charge, and means to retain said obturating means within said body after the yielding movement.

5'. A non-explosive projectile having a body cavity with an emission orifice at its tail end, an expansible charge in the cavity and means for efl'ecting expansion of the same, said orifice comprising a passage having a shoulder adjacent the cavity, plug means normally seated against the shoulder and eiiective for hermetically closing said orifice and movable by the expanding charge away from said shoulder into a non-closing position, a stabilizing tail having a portion removably received in said passage to obstruct the same against escape of the plug means when the latter moves to non-closing position, said passage also including an escape channel which is closed oil? from the body cavity by the plug means when the latter is against the shoulder and is in communication with the'body'cavity when the plug means is in non-closing position, said tail portion upon removal permitting access to the passage for reseating of the plug means against said shoulder preparatory to re-use of the projectile.

EDGAR WILLIAM BRANDT. 

